Advisory Council
COPP has a stellar group of volunteers serving as Advisory Council members. Community leaders have agreed to join with other business/civic leaders in charting and guiding the future of our College. As they learn more about the activities/structure of the College and how it interacts with external communities, these VIPS will actively participate in moving the College to national and international prominence. They serve as ambassadors for UTSA by inviting their associates and contacts to our public events, informing them of current activities, and asking them to support the College in a variety of ways. They will work with staff to bring major gifts to the College, bring nationally or regionally recognized public speakers to our campus, encourage business and civic contacts to consider internships or jobs for our students and graduates, draw from actual experience to give a guest lecture in a class of interest, and encourage colleagues to join the Dean’s Circle at the $1,000 level. With this level of commitment to COPP, our future is very bright. Please welcome the following volunteers to our College:
 |
Helen Coronado recently retired as the Chief of Staff for the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the largest national Hispanic civil rights organization. Based in Washington D.C., NCLR serves all Hispanic nationality groups in all regions of the U.S. On February 24, 2004, the National Foundation for Women Legislators honored Mrs. Coronado with the National Latina Leadership Award for her years of dedicated service to the Hispanic community. She and her husband, Gil, have four children and three grandchildren. |
 |
Erlinda Cortez Dimas is the Senior Vice President of Siebert Brandford Shank & Co., LLC, a full-service municipal finance firm that provides municipal bond underwriting and financial advisory services to clients across the U.S. With 20 years of municipal finance experience, Ms. Dimas has helped cities, counties, universities, and states finance billions of dollars in capital needs. Ms. Dimas has one daughter who is completing her Ph.D. at UTSA. |
 |
Don Frost, Regional President - San Antonio for Frost National Bank, oversees community banking that focuses on all corporate and consumer banking in the San Antonio, Boerne and New Braunfels markerts. In his 27 year banking career, three years were as a State Bank Examiner and 24 years have been at Frost, primarily in commercial and real estate lending. Mr. Frost's community involvement is focused on educatio serving on the board of trustees, executive committee and finance chair of a private university in San Antonio as well as advisory council and past chair of the board of the San Antonio Academy of Texas, a private school for boys in Pre-K to 8th grade. Other affiliations include Good Samaritan Center, Texas Research Park Foundation, United Communities of San Antonio and World Affairs Council of San Antonio. His interests include tennis and quail hunting. He is married to Lou Celia (27 years) and has three children---Houston, Cecilia and Clayborne. |
 |
Rene E. Gonzalez is co-owner and Senior Partner in Garza, Gonzalez & Associates, a certified public accounting firm and has been a CPA for over 30 years. His firm specializes in governmental, financial and compliance audits. Mr. Gonzalez was born and raised in the west side of San Antonio, a few blocks from UTSA’s Downtown Campus. On weekends, he pilots a Cessna 150. He and his wife, Christine, have three grown children. |
 |
Leticia Luna has practiced law since 1980. From 1983 to 1991 she was a Municipal Court Judge for the City of San Antonio. She joined Luna & Luna in 1991. From 1996 - 1998, she served as an Assistant Attorney General of Texas in Child Support Division office in San Antonio and then rejoined Luna & Luna in 1998. Ms. Luna has served on many boards. Some of her current affiliations include President of the Center for Health Policy Development, Inc., Secretary, Family Services Association, Board Member of Madonna Neighborhood Center, and the Government Affairs Council of Planned Parenthood of San Antonio, and Nominating Chair of Girl Scouts of San Antonio. She has recently joined the Westside Lions, a service organization where her father, Senator Gregory Luna, was a member. |
 |
Jose H. Medellin, President of the San Antonio Press, Inc., started the company in 1975. One of the top 500 Hispanic-owned companies in the United States, Mr. Medellin enjoys a reputation of owning one of the most complete printing plants in the area, including complete prepress, press and bindery departments. He and his wife, Ruth, are involved in many volunteer causes in San Antonio some of which include AVANCE National, Paseo del Rio Association, World Affairs Council, Los Compadres and Cattleman's Square Association. |
 |
George V. Pedraza is a Director with the Municipal Securities Group of UBS Securities LLC, which providing bond underwriting services for local governments throughout Texas. In addition, he is CEO of Academica Mgt. SW, LLC, an educational services company providing administrative, financial, and facilities services for Charter schools in Texas. He is a developer of affordable single family housing and has been a consultant to various non-profit affordable housing providers in San Antonio. He holds a BA in Political Science from UTSA, a Master of City & Regional Planning from the University of Pennsylvania and a Master of Public Administration from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs of Syracuse University. He is on the Board of City Year San Antonio and the Center for State and Local Government Excellence in Washington, DC. He and his wife Rachel have four children. |
 |
Gilbert F. Vazquez is a business and corporate attorney with the San Antonio office of Holland & Knight LLP. His law practice includes international business transactions, governmental law and public finance. Mr. Vazquez is active in numerous civic and charitable organizations. He serves on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of the San Antonio Zoological Society and previously served as a member of the Society’s Capital Campaign Committee. He is a former member of the Board of Directors of the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce. In 1985, Mr. Vazquez was named the Outstanding Young San Antonian by the S.A. Jaycees and in 1987, the Outstanding Young Lawyer by the San Antonio Young Lawyers. He is listed in recent editions of Who’s Who in American Law and Who’s Who Among Emerging Leaders in America. |
501 W. Durango Blvd. San Antonio, TX 78207 PH (210) 458-2530 FAX (210) 458-2531